Eating in Arles
You can dine well in Arles on a modest budget — in fact, it's hard to blow a lot on dinner here (all my listings have menus for €22 or less). The bad news is that restaurants here change regularly, so double-check my suggestions. All restaurants listed here (except La Bohème) have outdoor seating. Before dinner, go local on place du Forum and enjoy a pastis. This anise-based apéritif is served straight in a glass with ice, plus a carafe of water — dilute to taste.
For picnics, a big, handy Monoprix supermarket/department store is on place Lamartine (Mon–Sat 8:30–19:25, closed Sun).
On or near Place du Forum
Great atmosphere and mediocre food at fair prices await on place du Forum. A half-block below the Forum, on rue du Dr. Fanton, lies a lineup of more tempting restaurants (including the first 3 listed below). Consider an apéritif on place du Forum, then dine at one of these places.
Le 16, with warm ambience inside and out, is ideal for a fresh salad (€8-10) or one-course dinner. It offers a daily plat du jour and seasonal menu (closed Sat-Sun, 16 rue du Dr. Fanton, tel. 04 90 93 77 36).
La Paillotte, a few doors down, has rosy tablecloths under wood-beamed comfort inside, a nice terrace outside, and fine regional cuisine at affordable prices (€16-21 menus, closed Wed, 28 rue Dr. Fanton, tel. 04 90 96 33 15).
Au Bryn du Thym, almost next door, is reliable and specializes in traditional Provençal cuisine. Arrive early for an outdoor table (€19 menu, closed Tue, 22 rue Dr. Fanton, tel. 04 90 49 95 96).
La Bohème seems lost a block above the Forum. Here you dine under a long, vaulted ceiling with good budget options (€14 vegetarian menu, €18 Provençal menu, closed Sun-Mon, 6 rue Balze, tel. 04 90 18 58 92).
At La Cuisine de Comptoir, locals leave behind Provençal décor and pretend they're urbanites in Paris. This cool little bistro serves light tartine dinners (dishes served over toasted bread) at inexpensive prices (closed Sun, just off place du Forum's lower end at 10 rue de la Liberté, tel. 04 90 96 86 28).
Recharge at Café de la Major with some serious coffee or tea (closed Sun, 7 bis rue Réattu, tel. 04 90 96 14 15).
Near the Roman Arena
For about the same price as on place du Forum, you can enjoy regional cuisine with a point-blank view of the Arena. Of the two restaurants sitting side by side, I prefer Le Pistou. Arrive early to get an outdoor table with a view (menus from €18, closed Tue, at top of Arena, 30 rond-point des Arènes, tel. 04 90 18 20 92).
The recommended Hôtel Calendal hosts an all-you-can-eat salad-and-pasta bar (€14, daily 12:00-15:00); the selection is as good as the quality. Retreat from the city and enjoy a healthy lunch in the hotel's palm-shaded garden (just above Arena at 5 rue Porte de Laure, tel. 04 90 96 11 89).
The recommended Hôtel Voltaire serves a nothing-fancy three-course dinner (or lunch) for €11 and hearty salads for €8-10 — try the salade Fermiere (open daily, 1 place Voltaire, tel. 04 90 96 49 18).
Dessert
Soleilei has Arles' best ice cream, with all-natural ingredients and unusual flavors such as fadoli — olive oil (open daily, across from recommended Le 16 restaurant at 9 rue du Dr. Fanton).